That Moment When I Surrendered My Fear
The story of how God met me in my deepest fear and showed me how to trust him.
Are You Struggling To Find Your Fire For The New Year?
How is it possible that we’re already two days into a new year? Wasn’t is just February two months ago? I don’t think I’m ready for this! I typically love this time of year. I love the excitement of making plans for my “best year ever.” I’m a sucker for a blank...
When Compassion Trumps Advice, and Blame is Counterproductive
…we’ve forgotten how to empathize, and to sit quietly, helplessly, in someone else’s pain.
We’ve forgotten the power of empathy and compassion and are bent on being problem solvers.
Is It OK To Cry, Even If I Claim To Trust God?
Hi friend! I'm so glad you came by, we have so much to talk about... **********sips coffee, breathes deep, and begins the conversation************* I’m very blessed to be part of a small group of Christian blogging moms. We meet in a private facebook group and we talk...
Are Some Of Us Called To Be Ordinary?
What I’m wondering today is this: could it be that my “extraordinary thing” that I’m supposed to do for God is not something that looks extraordinary at all but in truth looks rather ordinary?
Don’t Be SAD: Take Steps Now To Avoid The Winter Blues
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Autumn is fading into winter and it's the season for gratitude and joy as we share Thanksgiving and Christmas with loved ones. It truly is a wonderful time. Pretty soon it will be a new year; time to polish off those New...
Why We’re Not Opposed To Giving Our Children Christmas Gifts
@ evgenyatamanenko Dollar Photo Club NOTE: This post is not addressing those parents who do not have the financial means to buy gifts. That is a different topic entirely. This is about choosing not to give any gifts with the intent of teaching our...
When You Can’t Find Your Christmas Spirit
I love Christmas. I love the lights, the music, the sweet treats, and the extra time spent with loved ones. It’s the time of year that snow is welcome and hot chocolate covers a multitude of sorrows. When the Christmas spirit hits me, I’m ready to jump in and enjoy...
Let Us Live Like Daughters Of The King
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit...
How You Can Be A Blessing To A Tired Mom
This post is part of a blog series on a topic that is weighing heavy on my heart. As I look around I’m seeing busy people all around me, and fewer meaningful, mutually edifying relationships. I’ve personally been hurt by our culture’s lack of community, and I know...
Not Just Heaven, But God Himself
One of my Bible readings this week was from Philippians 1:19-26. In these verses, Paul is deliberating which is better; to live, and therefore continue to share the gospel, or to die, which means to finally be with Christ. When we think about those verses, I know...
What Grace Means To Me; A Fallible Mom
What does grace mean to you? God’s unmerited favor. That’s what it means to me. It means that even though I’m weak, and I mess up, He still loves me, and makes things work out for my good. When we offer grace to each other I think of it in terms of not being too hard...
Oh, These Baby Birds, This Beautiful Girl, And My Tender Mama-Heart
My daughter and I are simultaneously learning what it feels like to have to sit back and let our little ones learn to fly. She’s almost 16. And this week she’s been nursing two baby Robins. They fell from a tree in our front yard one day when it was really...
The Abundant Blessings Of Fellowship: Are You Too Busy To Claim Them?
Are you too busy for a girls' night out? Can't take time to catch up on the phone? When was the last time you had lunch with a trusted friend? Are you skipping Ladies' Bible study because you've been told recently that you need to prune activities from your busy...
He Wants Me To Love Him
We finally did it! We overcame the many obstacles and got family pictures taken! Such a burden lifted. I'm the queen of procrastination when it comes to family photos! But it's done, and our friend did a fantastic job capturing this little group of people I'm blessed...
Learning To Embrace Seasons Of Solitude
“I feel so isolated”. That’s what I said to a friend of mine several years ago while visiting for a few minutes after church. Little did I know that even deeper isolation was on my horizon. It wasn’t the first time in my life I had felt alone and...
When I Prayed For A Richer Prayer Life
Do you ever feel like you’re really just talking to yourself when you pray? Sometimes I feel like my prayers are just getting lost in the atmosphere. Not because I don’t get the answers I want, I feel that way before ever giving Him time to answer. It feels like maybe...
A Blogger’s Prayer
Have you ever written or created something that was really just for you, and you were a little bit nervous to share it with anyone? You thought maybe it was special to you but others might not get it or worse, they'd think you're a little ... weird? That's how I felt...
It’s Like We’re Sleepwalking; Slow Down To Connect With Loved Ones
There we sat, sipping our sweet teas and waiting for our food to arrive. Going to a restaurant is usually a special time for our family. It's one way we can slow down and connect with each other. It gives mom a break and it’s a time for us to all relax and enjoy...
The Three Little Words That Are Poisoning My Soul
I have to tell you, right from the start; I really don’t want to write this article. I don’t want to have to admit that I struggle so much with this. It reminds me of a quote from Abraham Lincoln that I heard many years ago. “Better to remain silent and be...
Do Your Kids Know You’re an Ordinary Person?
How do your children perceive you? Do you remember discovering things about your parents that as a younger child you never really understood or considered a reality? I’m not talking about deep, dark secrets, I mean ordinary aspects of their humanness. Were you...
Giving our Children Roots And Wings
Late last night I posted the following on my business Facebook page: “I just wanted to check in and say I haven't forgotten all of you. I've been pretty quiet lately due to some pressing family matters. We've been away from home a lot lately, visiting with my...
Mom (and Dad) Relax, This Parenting Thing Takes A While
Recently in a mentoring group I participate in a desperate mom asked for prayers. She feels like she has lost the joy of parenting and has become a grouchy old lady. She shared, “I am trying to raise godly men, but they are more like wild men lately!” Oh, how I can...
When Your Kids Declare “It’s Not Fair!”
“It’s not fair!” Is this what your children declare every time they don’t like a decision you’ve made? Somehow, children learn early on that by playing the “fair” card, they can stop an issue in its tracks and turn things around in their favor. Or at least they think...
When You Need Community
A guest post from my friend Nancy Backues. Please be sure and read about her below and connect with her on her website. Thanks Nancy! I know people will be blessed by this message! I held a feverish, crying infant in one arm and the phone in the other....
It’s So Good To See You Smile
Have you ever taken notice of the first time your child smiles, after many days of sickness or sorrow? If you’re a mom (or a dad) you know how painful it is to see your children hurting. Whether they are sick, were treated badly by a friend, or have experienced...
But How Will I Lead Them?
Recently I began reading through “The Story; The Bible As One Continuing Story Of God And His People.” Today’s reading took me to the part of the story where the Israelites are about to enter the beautiful and abundant land that God had promised them. Moses, who had...
Refreshed by an Unfair God
Yesterday I woke up feeling kind of blah. I'm not sure if that’s a word, but that’s how I felt. I was tired and emotionally drained. Truth be told, I didn’t really feel like going to church. I felt like crawling back into bed. It didn’t help when both of our kids...
Let’s Make it a Great Year
Just after Thanksgiving, the question “What do you love most about this time of year?” was asked on facebook. Here’s how I responded: “For me, it's the overall joyful atmosphere. It's a time that we get to begin again. We celebrate new life because of Christ,...
Stepping up to Offer my Small Gift
You’re probably familiar with John 6: 5-15 .It’s the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. A large crowd had gathered around Jesus to hear him teach. Knowing they were hungry, Jesus asked Philip “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He was only testing...